Infantry - Army Strong Stories

One of my soldiers shows off his IED face

Alex Frank — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:45:00 GMT

Coming Back

Fred Johnson — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:13:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
When I first deployed in July of last year I told the story of the Vietnam vet who approached me at the Louisville airport and inquired, “Just getting back?” At the time, I shook his hand and I simply replied “Going.” Well, I hope to see the old warrior soon because this time I am coming back – for good. My current command, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and my gaining unit, the United States Army Recruiting...read more

The Friend of a Brave Man

Fred Johnson — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:40:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
We stand out like American tourists in Afghanistan. Our convoy of two up-armored SUVs skulks through the Kabul traffic cautiously like a tortoise crossing a highway. Our driver, a young Airman, cranes his neck as he maneuvers around Massoud Circle. He slows and swerves to avoid a woman in a blue Burkha crossing the street. She doesn’t acknowledge the near accident and floats by us like a phantom. Our Suburban’s array of antennas and Soldiers in full kit, sitting two...read more

One Deliberate Decision (The Ranger Curse)

Fred Johnson — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:03:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
One would think it would be impossible to put on weight during a deployment, but it’s pretty darn easy. Consider a Meal Ready to Eat, or MRE, contains 1200 calories per package. If you eat the entire contents, three times a day, you consume the equivalent of one pound. On Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, we have cafeterias that are open 24 hours a day and, in most cases, they have incredibly tasty selections. You can easily go through a year-long deployment and never eat a...read more

My story !

Alexis Cruz — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:06:00 GMT

By: Alexis Cruz
2LT Cruz was born in Nicaragua to Marina and Jose Cruz. He immigrated to this country at the age of 14 and attended Miami Southridge Senior High School. Upon competing high school, 2LT Cruz enrolled in Miami Dade College as a part time student and earned his Associate in Arts of Architecture. He then transferred to Florida International University. After his 1st semester at FIU, CDT Cruz joined the Florida Army National Guard, completing the Basic Combat Training course at Fort Jackson,...read more

So There is More to Social Media than Facebook? Apparently So! And the Army is Getting it Right.

Levi Peffer — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:09:00 GMT

By: Levi Peffer
I think it’s fairly easy to see that the Army uses tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and ArmyStrongStories.com to help interact with potential recruits and help educate the everyday citizen of our country. I have come to see firsthand that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Army and how it uses social media in a variety of ways, most notably to reach potential recruits. The Army has leveraged these tools in garrison, operational environments, and...read more

March Madness

Fred Johnson — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:16:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
It’s March Madness 2007 in Baghdad. We come off Caughman Range on Forward Operating Base Liberty near the Abu Gharib Palace and the neighborhood of Monsour in Baghdad, Iraq. With the firing stopped we can hear the noontime call for prayer from a nearby mosque. More than the 15 foot concrete wall that surrounds Liberty separate us from the people in Monsour, but for me the stirring rhythm of the call makes the...read more

Back Across the Rubicon

Fred Johnson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:36:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
I peeped at the race course through an opening I made in my sleeping bag while my car heater took its blissful effect. My eyes fluttered, like a window shutter, between closed and barely open. I came to my car at 4:50 p.m. to get warm. I called my good friend Gary Griffin, one of my running mentors who first put the idea of running for 24 hours into my head. I told him I was still in the race but was taking a break. I hoped I sounded convincing telling him that I would return to the course...read more

Been a while...

Alex Frank — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:32:00 GMT

By: Alex Frank
It's been a long time since I posted, but I was recently inspired to start blogging again. This is a great oppurtunity to give people a chance to really understand our experience, what we do, and what all this means to us. This is so important. People need to be able to connect with us and share in our experiences a much as possible. Otherwise, the distance between us and everyone else grows. When that happenns, people don't take us for...read more

Who is this Man

Fred Johnson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:30:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
Who is this man carrying our flag? He joined the service for the same reasons American Soldiers do. No one forced him. He volunteered to serve his country. Afghanistan has been at war for 30 years; he is tired of the fighting and wants there to be peace so he can raise a family. Most likely he can barely read. 70% of Afghans are illiterate. He might have gone to religious school or even a public school, but he probably only made it through the...read more

Career Transition

Marcus Huggins — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:22:00 GMT

By: Marcus Huggins
I sit here watching news of potential changes to the Army based upon funding and retention and wondering just how it will impact me. I have a rudimentary plan of submitting a packet to attend Physician's Assistant School once I return to the States. I also have horrible days that lead me to believe that 6 years is more than enough and perhaps I should call it quits. Decisions, Decisions.............he with the most knowledge wins. I will be patient and continue to...read more

Active Duty to Reserve Duty Part Deux... Tips

Levi Peffer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:47:00 GMT

By: Levi Peffer
It’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged and life has changed quite a bit since then. Late last spring I left Active Duty (for the second time) and transitioned into an Army Reserve position near my hometown. My time at Fort Benning will definitely be looked back upon as one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my life. I made a lot of great friends, accomplished many goals, and hope that I trained a Soldier or two to standard while I was...read more

When Fish Fly

Fred Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:48:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
“It’s not bad. There are a couple grammatical errors I highlighted. You see Fred, ‘to’ in this instance should be ‘too,’ but overall it’s okay.” I took notes as General Karimi provided feedback on a speech I wrote for him recently. The irony, of course, is that English is his third language and he speaks and writes my native tongue better than me. Never failing, he concludes with, “Thank you very much. It’s...read more

A Safe Place

Fred Johnson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:06:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
A Command Sergeant Major had the audacity to give me an on-the-spot correction for a uniform violation recently. It was the best thing that has happened to me in a long while. General Karimi and I were accompanying the commander of the warfighting Corps, Lieutenant General Scaparrotti, to Torkum Gate, a beautiful place of historical and strategic significance on the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. We recently experienced an incident where our Soldiers received fire from...read more

Rewarding Career Path

Jaison Bloom — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:03:00 GMT

By: Jaison Bloom
After 5 years as Army broadcaster in the reserves and Maryland National Guard, I was commissioned on active-duty as an Infantry officer in 2002. My military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Public Affairs Officer Qualification Course and the United States Army Airborne and Ranger Schools. Other than, being a Platoon Leader, working as a Recruiting Officer for ROTC has been a very reward job. The ability to encourage youth to pursue future goals,...read more

Melon Takes the Color of a Melon

Fred Johnson — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:21:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
It’s a typical day at the office. LTC Khanullah Shuja, General Karimi’s senior aide, is explaining his military genius to everyone within earshot. In excruciating detail he recounts one of the hundreds of battles he fought during his six years of company command. I’ve heard the story about a dozen times and each successive account his exploits are more superhuman. However, the ending never changes - Shuja ultimately saves the day with a brilliant...read more

Strong Women

Fred Johnson — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:32:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
The best leader with whom I have served in my 27 year career in the Army is my wife. I’ve learned more about leadership from Laura than any General I know. And, I know some really good ones. We met when she was commanding her third company at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. She led a complex organization that guarded a special population of military criminals that included death row inmates, She took those experiences into civilian life where she...read more

2011 IPSC Nationals

Shane Coley — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:25:00 GMT

By: Shane Coley
This past weekend on 4 November, three members of the USAMU Action Shooting traveled to Columbia, SC to shoot in the 2011 IPSC Nationals on 5 November at the Mid-Carolina Rifle and Pistol Range. SGT Dimaculangan, PFC Sweeney, and myself all shot our respective divisions. This match was a national level match, and the points that you win here are used towards the selection of the Men's teams for the next World Shoot in 2014. Shooting this match helped all of us get a...read more

Where Morning is Night

Fred Johnson — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:20:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
People ask for my BlackBerry number all the time. They are amazed when I have to dig in my wallet and look at my business card. “Don’t you have it memorized yet?” they ask. Nope, I do not. I have to pull out my Dog Tags to remember my social security number. My wife, Laura, taught me every memorization technique known to man so I don’t forget her birthday. I do have special day committed to memory, but only after severe beatings. Madelyn, our daughter, stopped...read more

The List

Fred Johnson — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:47:00 GMT

By: Fred Johnson
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. I allowed myself to get into a bit of a slump. The Cardinal’s victory in the World Series was a short-lived respite from the inevitable bout of melancholy that is naturally a part of the emotional ebb and flow of a deployment. The raid on my resiliency wasn’t a full blown frontal assault. Rather, it was a sneak attack at weak points in my soul’s defenses. To combat the ennui I reviewed notes I made in a black and...read more